Excavator



y 1932- H. E. CRUSE 1,858,360

EXCAVATOR Filed June 6, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HOWARD E. CRUSE.

Patented May 17, 1932 1,858,369

UNITED .-srA s *PATNT new-:11:

HOWARD E. GRUSE, OESAN-FBANQISCO, CALIFORNIA .EXCAVATOR Application filed June 6, 1931. Serial No. 542,496.

My invention relates to improvements in I accomplish these and other :objects by excavators-wherein-a pair of vertically dismeans of the improveddevice-disclosed in posed discs, arranged in parallelspaced relathe drawings forming a part of thepresent tion,each provided with a pluralityof radialapplication wherein. 'likeicharacters of refer+ ly'and' peripherally disposedcutting edges, ence are used to designate, similar parts '55 operate-in conjunctionwith atorquetube, throughoutthe specification andrdrawings, operatively connecting said excavator in and in which p i trailing connection with said vehicleto per- Fig. l is a side elevation of my improved mit vertical movement only of said excavator, excavator; v r

" to limit thedejpth of an excavated ditch by I Fig.2 is ahorizontal sectional view thereof; said torque tube resting on the front edge Fig. 3 is arear elevation, partly in section, of an :excavated ditch as said excavator adwith a portion ofthe rearvguard removed vances and withmeans for receiving andlat- Fig. 4 is a rear elevation. disclosing the eral-ly {discharging material excavated by automatically adjustablemeans for retaining i115 said-. excavator. ,iMeans arealso provided to the-excavatorinverticalposition at'diiferent retain theexcavator in-vertical position at elevations thereof; and 7 variousgelevations thereof. Fig. 5 is a view disclosing the manner in "The 'primary object ,ofthe present inven which theexcavator is trailed from amotor tion jisito provide a new and improved exvehicle and automaticallyhelddn vertical pocavator. siti'on, and also the manner -inwh ich the ;Anotherobject is to provide-a new and imdepth of the excavated ditch is limited and provcdaexcavator for excavating comparathemanner in which accumulated debris untively narrow. irrigating ditches and subderthe edgesofthe torque bar is out. ditches,-having improved means ,for receiv- Referring :to the drawings, thenumeral -1 inglexcavated material, and for discharging is used to designa'te in general a motor vethe same laterally on both sides of an excahicleiofsuita'ble type and 2 the ipowershaft vated ditch. 1 thereof. I 1 t Afurther-object isto provide a new and ,;.-Hinged1y C IILB titsfr nt-end t0 the improved device-of the-character described vehicle 1, for vertical movement only, I ghave wherein ,an excavator is trailed'fora motor provided a torque tube 3 provided on its 8 vehicle, in a manner to permitv vertical movelower sidewi'tha longitudinally disposed cutment only ofsaid trailedexcavator, saidtraili g l de 4, the purpose of which willhereing mechanism being arranged to engage the inafter be more fully described.- The oppofront end of an excavated ditch as the exsite'free end of thetube3 is rigidly connectcavator iSiELdVZIHCGfl to limit the depth of the ed to lh g 6 f verticallydis: x tio 7 POSedLPartitiOn 7,, withinwhich is provided a A still further object of the present invensuitable bevel gear 8 mounted upon a shaft .9 tion is to provide new and improved means extending thru said housing 6-andconnecting for cutting andseparatinga mass-of accumuapair'of vertical discs'll arranged in spaced 4i) lated dbris gathered by. the trailing torque parallel rela i Oil-opposite sides of the pa bar. tition7 and the central housingdthereohsaid A still further object is to provide new and d s being each prov-idedwitha plurali y improvedautomatically adjustable means for of cutting blades or elements preferablyform s P retaining-. zthe' excavator in vertical voperaed of angle-irons 12,,entendingbeyond the petive position at different elevations thereof. ripheri s f di c h bv p iphe a Another object is to provideimproved. ad and radial cutting edges maybe providedto justable-meansfor automatically preventing. excavate aiditchandsmcothly ,cut the sides discharge of excavated materialintothezditch thereof. v h ,7 v and for leveling the bottom of an excavated A; shaft 2. is mounted within thegtorque ditch. Y r tube 32nd c nnects ati ward nd, thru any suitable universal oint 14, to the motive power of the vehicle 1 as represented by the power shaft 2 thereof. The opposite end of the shaft 2 extends thru the entire length of the tube 3 and into the central housing 6 and is therein provided with a suitable bevel pinion 17 meshing with the gear 8 in turn operatively connected to the discs 11 by means of the shaft 9, as disclosed in Fig. of the drawings. V. v

The partition 7 is provided at its upper end with oppositely faced discharge portions 18 arranged to discharge laterally excavated material received from the periphery of the excavatorthru the action of centrifugal force.

The rear edge of the partition 7 is also provided with an'annular flange 19 to prevent-the discharge of excavated material backward into the excavated trench or ditch.- The lower edge or end of said flange is provided with an adjustable chisel or horizontal cutting member 21 provided to level the bottom of an excavated ditch.

I In order to retain the excavator in a vertical-or operative position regardless of its elevation I'have provided a rod 23 hingedly connected at its'lower end to the back of the annular flange 19 and its upper end is slidably mounted within the lower endof atubular member 24 of a horizontal bar 26 in turn pivotally mounted within an extension of the vehicle 1 extending rearwardly over the excavator, as disclosed in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings; The provision of the member 26 arranged laterally to the member 24 provides a'cwide b'aseor bearing for the retaining member so that the excavator is readily and effectively retained ina vertical or operative position when excavating. The sliding or telescopic arrangement of the members 24 and 23 provides a simpleand effective means for automatically adjusting this retaining mechanism to different elevations of the excavator.

In operation, as the vehiclel is advanced and the excavator is trailed, said excavator is rotated at a speed which will permitit to readily dig itself into the soil, the radial and peripheral cutting edges of the angle iron cutting elements '12 rapidly cutting away the soil on the bottom and sides of the trench or ditch, thus lowering said excavator into the soil until the torque tube 3 rests upon the front edge of the ditch being excavated, :thereby preventing further lowering of the said excavator. I i As said excavator is digging itself into the soil the telescopically connected members 23 and 24 are extended automatically to constantly retain said excavator in a vertical or operative position;

As the-ehicle and excavator advance, weeds and otherdbris will accumulate under the torqu e bar 3 at the point of contact of said bar with the unexcavated soil. The

knife or longitudinally disposed cutting blade 4, being pulled over said accumulation, will readily cut or sever the same as fast as it accumulates, after which it will be torn up or excavated with the soil and discharged laterally by the discharge portions 18 of the central partition 7.

' As the excavator is advanced into the soil by the vehicle 1 the excavated material is thrown off from said excavator by the action of'centrifugal force into the discharging portions 18 of the central portion 7 When the vehicle is turning the excavator is moved laterally a certain amount and such movement is permitted by the action of the radial cutting edges of the excavator.

As the discs 11 are necessarily arranged in parallel spaced relation to provide space for the torque tube to connect with the'central housing and partition,-it is obviously neces sary to have a space between theadj acent in ner radial cutting edges of the two discs. Material, therefore, directly under the torque tube will not be reached by the peripheral cutting elements, but a sort of'ledge or unexcavated portion would ordinarily remain in the center of the excavated ditch. This ledge is easily'removed, first, bythe'action of the cutting blade 4 on the lower side of the torque tube 8, and second, by an inclined forward edge 27 which edge first slices the unstable ledge centrally and longitudinallyand separates the sliced portions thereof,-causing the same to fall into the path of'theradial cut ting edges of the revolving cutting elements 12 which disintegrate and carry the said ledge as excavated material, to the discharge portions 18 of the central partition 7.

Havingthus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is i 1. The combination with a motor vehicle of a vertically disposed rotary excavator; means connected to said excavator and to the vehicle for trailing and operating said excavator and resting upon the forward edge of a trench dug by said excavator as it advances, to limit the descent of said excavator; and means mounted within the connecting means and connected to said excavator and the mo tive power of said vehicle for operating said excavator. V c u 2. The combination with a motor. vehicle of'an excavator comprising a pair of vertically disposed discs arranged in spaced parallel relation and each having a plurality of radially disposed excavating blades projecting beyond the peripheries of said discs; a partition arranged midway between said discs and provided at its central portion with a housing; a shaftextending thru the housing and connecting the discs; a gear on the shaft and within the housing; a torque tube connected at itsrear end to the housing and hingedly connected at its front end tosaid instance motor vehicle to trail the excavator, said hinged front end of said torque tube permitting vertical movement only of the excavator whereby said excavator may descend into a ditch excavated by said excavator while being trailed by said motor vehicle; and means mounted upon the partition for receiving and discharging laterally material excavated by the excavator.

3. The combination with a motor vehicle of an excavator comprising a pair of vertically disposed discs arranged in spaced parallel relation'and each having a plurality of radially disposed excavating blades projecting beyond the peripheries of said discs; a partition arranged midway between said discs and provided at its central portion with a housing; a shaft extending thru the housing and connecting the discs; a gear on the shaft and within the housing; a torque tube connected at its rear end to the housing and hingedly connected at its front end to said motor vehicle to trail the excavator, said hinged front end of said torque tube permitting vertical movement only of the excavator whereby said excavator may descend into a ditch excavated by said excavator while be ing trailed by said motor vehicle; and automatically"adjustable means connecting the excavator with the vehicle and for retaining said excavator vertically disposed at different elevations thereof.

4. The combination with a motor vehicle of an excavator comprising a pair of discs connected in parallel spaced relation and provided with a plurality of radial and peripheral cutting edges; a torque bar operatively connected at its. rear end to said excavator and hingedly connected at its front end with the motive power of said vehicle, whereby said excavator may be trailed from said vehicle and capable of vertical movement relatively to said vehicle, the rear portion of said tube engaging the front end of an excavated ditch as said excavator is advanced to limit the excavated depth of said ditch.

5. The combination with a motor vehicle of an excavator comprising a pair of discs connected in parallel spaced relation and provided with a plurality of radial and peripheral cutting edges; a torque bar operatively connected at its rear end to said excavator and hingedly connected at its front end with the motive power of said vehicle, whereby said excavator may be trailed from said vehi cle and capable of vertical movement relatively to said vehicle, the rear portion of said tube engaging the front end of an excavated ditch as said excavator is advanced to limit the excavated depth of said ditch; and means for receiving excavated material from said excavator and discharging the same laterally. I

6. The combination with a motor vehicle of an excavator comprising a pair of discs *tical position. I

7. The combination -;with;.=amotor vehicle' -conne'cted' 12in ,parallel I spaced relation a nd provided with a "plurality-10f aradia'l. and :peripheral cutting edges; 1a torque. ibar, operatively connected: at -its rear 1 end to said excawith'the motiverpower of said aveh icle, whereby said I excavator :may ber trailed fromsaid vehicle :andicapable .of vertical movement relatively to said vehicle; theirear portion of said tube engaging the front;end,of:an exca- K.

.vatedi ditch: asssaid'; excavator sis: advanced to limit 'theajexcavated depth of said ditchyand meanspforiretaining said excavator in averof anexcavator .comprisiingt-ia s pai-r of discs conn ected: inaparallelspaced: relation and pro- 'avidedg'with. a plurality of radial and peripheral cutting edges a torque bar operatively connected ;,at its 1 rear end ito 'said ,excavator and hingedly connected-atzits ifront'endwith the motive power of;s'aid vehicle,whereby said: excavator maybe trailedfrom said vehicle and r capable of vertical movement rel'a- .tivelyto said vehicle,- the: rear;v portion of? said tube engaging the front; end ofnanzexcava'ted ditch as 1 said excavatorais advanced to I limit .the excavated depth of saidditch and auto- =matically adjustable means connected to'said vator and hirigedlyconnectedataitsfrontiend 97-70 vehicle and to .said' excavator l'for retaining said excavator vertically disposed -atdifferent elevations. 1": f,

8. Thje combination with a, motor vehicle of an excavator comprising a pair of discs connected in parallel spaced relation and. 2 .1

provided with a plurality of radial and peripheral cutting edges; a torque bar operatively connected at its rear end to said excavator and hingedly connected at its front end with the motive power of said vehicle, whereby said excavator .may be trailed from said vehicle and capable of vertical movement relatively to said vehicle, the rear portion of said tube engaging the front end of an excavated ditch as said excavator is advanced F1 said excavator may be trailed fromsaid vehicle and capable of vertical movement rela- 3 tively to said vehicle, the rear portion of said tube engaging the front end of an excavated ditch as said excavator is advanced to limit the excavated depth of said ditch;

means for receiving excavated material from 513 being excavated.

said excavator and discharging the same laterally and means for leveling the bottom of a ditch excavated by said excavatorn 10. The combination with a motor vehicle 5 of an excavator; a torque tube hingedly connected at its front end to said vehicle and connected at its rear end to said excavator to limit the descent of said excavator into the soil by engaging the front edge of a ditch 11. The combination With a motor vehicle of an excavator; a torque tube hingedly connected at its front end to said vehicle and connected at its rear end to said excavator to limit the descent of said excavator into the soil by engaging the front edge of a ditch being excavated; and means for severing accumulated debris at the point of contact of said tube ith said front edge.

12. The combination with a motor vehicle of an excavator; a torque tube hingedly connected at its front end to said vehicle and connected at its rear end to said'excavator to limit the descent of said excavator into the soil by engaging the front edge of a ditch being excavated; and a vertically disposed cutting blade'mounted longitudinally of said tube onthe under side thereofto sever accumulated debris at the point of contact of said tube With'said front edge.

In 1 witness whereof, I hereunto set my signature. HOWARD E. CRUSE. 

